1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an accessory support for a chair. More particularly, this invention relates to a support apparatus to hold accessories, such as a keyboard, mouse, and/or laptop computer, for a user to use while either sitting in a chair or standing near the chair. This allows a user to change from a seated to a standing position throughout the workday while utilizing only one accessory support apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the workplace, persons are often required to perform repetitive manual tasks in a sedentary position. By maintaining a sedentary position throughout the workday, the person can become fatigued and blood flow through the legs is less than ideal. By utilizing ergonomic principles when designing furniture, worker productivity is increased, worker fatigue and absenteeism are decreased, and blood flow throughout the body is improved.
It is desirable to properly support the hands, arms, and wrists of a seated person who is utilizing accessories such as a computer keyboard, mouse, and/or laptop computer. However, remaining in a seated position decreases the person""s productivity. Without changing positions periodically, proper circulation is hampered.
It is known in the workstation design industry that by varying a person""s body position, fatigue is reduced. By changing body positions at multiple times throughout the day, a person can reduce stress and increase productivity.
One desirable way of changing body position is for a worker to switch from a seated to a standing position. Alternating from a seated to a standing position facilitates blood flow through the legs which helps prevent fatigue and improves worker comfort. This sit-and-stand method of reducing worker fatigue is known in the furniture design field.
Several attempts at providing a comfortable keyboard support for a seated person are known. It is known in the workplace design industry that it is possible to provide keyboard supports for use by a person in a seated position. For example, the approach of Trimnell described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,607 utilizes a computer keyboard holder attached to a chair. Trimnell""s keyboard holder attaches to the chair legs, and is for use by a person in the seated position, not the standing position. Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,922 to Cooper describes a chair with a built-in computer workstation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,073 to VanBeek describes the holder in front of a chair to reduce the chance of the user incurring repetitive stress injuries. U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,950 to Crenshaw describes a school desk computer workstation, while Dearing (U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,710) describes the holder built into a chair arm.
Commercial products such as X-TENSION ARM by Cal Trak, Inc. of Broomfield, Colo., and ERGOREST by Ergonomic Design, Inc. of Northglenn, Colo., are available which provide for the attachment of a keyboard support to a chair, the support being mounted at a given height for a seated user.
In each of these approaches, the holder is designed for only one position of a user, generally seated. None describe a system for providing a keyboard support for a use by a person standing near a chair. Further, when a user is practicing those prior designs, but would like to stand to take advantage of the sit-and-stand principle, modifications to the work area would be required. For instance, combining two prior design support systems could possibly be used to accommodate different user positions.
It is known to provide two keyboard supports at one workstation: one permanently mounted at a height suitable to a person in a seated position, and one permanently mounted at a height suitable to a person in a standing position. However, the addition of another piece of furniture in the work area is not always desirable in many space-limited workplace designs. Further, the same keyboard, mouse, and/or computer may be utilized by multiple workers throughout the day. Therefore, it is desirable to have accessory supports which are capable of adjusting to the different depths, angles, and heights to accommodate the differently-statured individuals which may utilize the same keyboard support. Additionally, the use of radio frequency or infra red communication makes the use of a cordless keyboard, mouse, or computer feasible in the modern workplace.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a single, versatile support to hold accessories, such as a keyboard, mouse, or laptop computer, of a user. It is desirable that this support be capable of attaching to a user""s chair in such a way as to let the user sit or stand throughout the day, thus reducing worker fatigue. It is therefore desirable that the attachment mechanism be simple to use so that the user can change positions as desired. Further, it is desirable that the support be easily adapted for use by multiple persons throughout the workday: the support should be able to rotate and tilt to support the accessories at comfortable positions for multiple users.
In some aspects, an apparatus is described to support accessories on a chair having an armrest and a back comprising a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, a first attachment means connected to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said armrest of said chair via said first attachment means, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means. The apparatus the deck may further comprise a raised edge to prevent the accessories from falling off said deck, said raised edge being located on a side of said deck. The first attachment means may further comprise a first tilt pivot having one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about a first horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane. And the second attachment means may further comprise a second tilt pivot having one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about a second horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane. And the first attachment means may further comprise a first rotational pivot having one degree of freedom to rotate a first longitudinal axis of said deck about the first rotational pivot. The second attachment means may also further comprise a second rotational pivot having one degree of freedom to rotate a second longitudinal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot. In this way, one apparatus may be used to accommodate proper ergonomic position of multiple users. Further, each user is ablexe2x80x94with one apparatusxe2x80x94to utilize the advantageous sit-and-stand principle.
In some embodiments, the first and or the second attachment means is a clamp. In others the second attachment means is a clamp. In some embodiments, the first and or the second attachment means is a gravity holder. In some embodiments, the second attachment means is a custom bar.
In other aspects, an apparatus is described to support accessories on a chair having an armrest and a back, comprising a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, said deck having a raised edge to prevent the accessories from falling off said deck, said raised edge being located on a side of said deck, a first attachment means connected to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said armrest of said chair via said first attachment means, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means, said first attachment means having a first tilt pivot with one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about a first horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane, said first attachment means having a first rotational pivot with one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about the first rotational pivot, said second attachment means having a second tilt pivot with one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about a second horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane, said second attachment means having a second rotational pivot with one degree of freedom to rotate said deck about the second rotational pivot.
In other embodiments, an apparatus to support accessories on a chair having an armrest and a back is described having a means for supporting accessories, a means for removably attaching said means for supporting accessories to said armrest of said chair, said means for removably attaching said means for supporting accessories to said armrest of chair being attached to said means for supporting accessories, and a means for removably attaching said means for supporting accessories to said back of said chair, said means for removably attaching said means for supporting said armrest of chair being attached to said means for supporting accessories.
Also described is a method of attaching an apparatus to a chair having an armrest and a back, comprising providing an apparatus to support accessories having a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, a first attachment means connected to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said armrest of said chair via said first attachment means, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means, attaching said apparatus to said arm rest via said first attachment means, and placing said accessories on said deck. In some aspects, the method further comprising rotating said deck about a rotational pivot. In some aspects, the method further comprising tilting said deck about a tilt pivot. In other aspects, the method includes adjusted the vertical height of the deck for users of various heights by adjusting the height of the chair.
In other embodiments, in combination with a chair having an armrest and a back, an apparatus to support accessories is described comprising a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, a first attachment means connected to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said armrest of said chair via said first attachment means, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means. In others, the second attachment means further comprises a slot located in the back of said chair and a plug located on the deck, the deck being removably attachable to the back of said chair by inserting the plug located on the deck into the slot located in the chair back. The second attachment means further may comprise a second rotational pivot having one degree of freedom, to rotate a second longitudinal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot. The second attachment means may further comprise a second tilt pivot having one degree of freedom, to tilt a second horizontal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot.
In other aspects, in combination with a chair having a chair arm and a back, an apparatus is described to support accessories comprising an arm rest being rotatably attached to the chair arm, an arm rest base being attached to said arm rest, a deck base being moveably attached to said arm rest base, a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, the deck being attached to the deck base, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means. In some aspects, the deck base further comprises a deck track, the arm rest base being moveably attached to the deck tracks to allow a position of the deck to be adjusted relative to a user seated in the chair. In others, the second attachment means further comprises a second rotational pivot having one degree of freedom to rotate a second longitudinal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot. In others, the second attachment means further comprises a second tilt pivot having one degree of freedom, to tilt a second horizontal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot.
In other aspects, in combination with a desk and a chair having a back, an apparatus is described to support accessories comprising a deck having a substantially flat upper surface to hold accessories, a first attachment means connected to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said desk via said first attachment means, and a second attachment means attached to said deck, said deck being removably attachable to said back of said chair via said second attachment means. In some embodiments, the first attachment means further comprises a first tilt pivot having one degree of freedom, to rotate said deck about a first horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane. In other embodiments, the second attachment means further comprises a second tilt pivot having one degree of freedom, to rotate said deck about a second horizontal axis to angle said deck from a horizontal plane. In others, the first attachment means further comprises a first rotational pivot having one degree of freedom, to rotate a first longitudinal axis of said deck about the first rotational pivot. In some embodiments, the second attachment means further comprises a second rotational pivot having one degree of freedom, to rotate a second longitudinal axis of said deck about the second rotational pivot.
In another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is described to support accessories on a chair having an armrest and a back, comprising a deck having a substantially flat upper surface and a substantially flat bottom surface, and a mounting bar connected to said deck, said mounting bar being rotatably attachable to said back of said chair via a flip pivot, the accessories being supportable on the substantially flat upper surface when the deck rests upon the armrest, the accessories being supportable on the substantially flat bottom surface when the deck rests upon the back of the chair. In some embodiments, the substantially flat upper surface further comprises a raised edge being located on a side of said substantially flat upper surface. In others, the substantially flat bottom surface further comprises a raised edge being located on a side of said substantially flat bottom surface. In some embodiments, the mounting bar may comprise a first member connected to said deck and a second member connected to said flip pivot, the first member being connected to the second member to form an angle. The angle may be ninety degrees. This embodiment again allows one piece of furniture to be utilized while practicing the advantageous sit-and-stand principle.